Burger joint with All-halal options opening in Milpitas

Clarification: After this item posted we learned that the food served at Wayback Burgers is not literally All-Halal, as had been presented in the news release. According to John Eucalitto, president of the Connecticut-based franchise, the burgers and other proteins are handled in a manner that adheres to the Islamic dietary laws that specify how meat and poultry are to be raised and prepared. However, certain menu items, such as the onion rings which are prepared in a beer batter, are not.

This Thursday, an burger restaurant with all-halal options will open in Milpitas, giving Muslim residents of the area a fast-food menu they can eat.

Wayback Burgers, part of a Connecticut-based chain, will be the company’s first halal franchise and its first Northern California restaurant.

The halal concept was the brainchild of Milpitas tech industry veteran Aziz Usman, who was interested in becoming a franchisee but wanted to open a place where his daughter, niece and nephew — who adhere to a halal diet — could enjoy the offerings.

“I explored several different franchise options, but Wayback Burgers proved to be the most feasible investment option,” Usman said in a statement.

Halal, which is Arabic for “permissible,” refers to the Islamic dietary laws that specify how meat and poultry are to be raised and prepared. Many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurants in the Bay Area serve halal food, and Ike’s Place founder Ike Shehadeh has introduced a mainstream audience to halal chicken at his sandwich chain.

Originally started as Jake’s Burgers in 1991 in Delaware, Wayback specializes in hand-pressed, never-frozen burger patties, handmade milkshakes, turkey burgers, chicken sandwiches and monthly specials. January’s burger is done Hawaiian style, with ham, pineapple and teriyaki sauce, and the shake of the month is pina colada.

Wayback’s only other California locations are in Ventura and on the Port Hueneme base, with plans to open soon in Hollywood and Camarillo.

Details: Wayback Burgers is located at 1547 California Circle, near Interstate 880, off the eastbound Dixon Landing Road exit.